"In less enlightened times, the best way to impress women was to own a hot car,” wrote Scott Adams, creator of the "Dilbert" cartoon strip, in Windows Magazine in May 1995. “But women wised up and realized it was better to buy their own hot cars so they wouldn't have to ride around with jerks."

While this statement may be true, it hasn’t changed men’s mentality when it comes to buying automobiles. Of the 10 most popular automobiles among men since July, according to data gathered by J.D. Power and Associates, eight fall into one of two categories -- trucks or high-performance.

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It’s a stereotype that in this case is very true. Men like to enhance their masculine image by driving cars that are either very fast, very large or both.

“Men are looking more at functionality and looking at things that express their masculinity, whether overt or less overt,” said Jack Nerad, senior editor at the Kelly Blue Book and a former managing editor of Motor Trend magazine. “So, the brands that skew their way have those kind of traits. They’re bold, very often high-performance or high capability on the truck side, versatile, but also are tough.”

Here, according to JDPA, are the five most popular brands for men since July.

PORSCHE

According to J.D. Power and Associates, Porsche has been the most popular brand. 82 percent of all buyers have been men, and the two most popular Porsche models for men, the 911 and Cayman, are both among the top six most popular models for men overall.

Porsche has had a traditionally male appeal throughout the years, and according to Porsche spokesperson Tony Fluladpour, had a percentage of female ownership in the single digits until recent years.

The male appeal of the Porsche seems to be its decades-old reputation as a super high-performance vehicle and a car-lover’s car.

“People understand when they drive a Porsche that is it a special experience,” Fluladpour said. “There are cars out there that maybe have more horsepower, perhaps have more torque, better zero to 60 speeds in some cases, but there is a certain quality to a Porsche that supersedes the pure numbers or horsepower and 0-60. It’s a sport driving experience unlike any other.”

Nerad said that Porsche’s ability to live off the reputation of its past while continuing to update and keep the car relevant to today’s driver has been responsible for its success.

“The 911 is an icon. It’s an absolute icon,” Nerad said. “They understand that car and have nurtured it as no one else has nurtured a model. That car dates back to the very early 60s.The essential character of the car hasn’t changed other than it has probably gotten more impressive.”

GMC

According to JDPA, GMC is the second most popular brand with men, as 77 percent of all buyers since July have been men. Part of GMC’s high popularity with men is that it only sells trucks and SUVs.

“Men like trucks, and that is all that GMC builds, is trucks and SUVs,” said GMC director of marketing Steve Rosenbloom. Rosenbloom also said a big reason GMC is so popular with men is because many of their trucks and SUVs are used by tradesmen, like painters, plumbers and construction workers, which are traditionally male-oriented fields.

GMC also advertises heavily during sports broadcasts like the NBA, MLB and in particular the NFL, which all have a traditionally core male audience.

“Obviously, we try to take advantage of our male market,” said Rosenbloom. “We advertise a lot. We’re a sponsor of the NFL.”

DODGE

Dodge produces much more diverse lines of automobiles than Porsche or GMC, but is still the third most popular brand among men, according to JDPA.

Dodge makes a lot of trucks, which are always appealing to men, but also produces a line of high-performance autos that also tap into the visceral male appetite for speed and power.

“Dodge certainly since the '60s has had a performance reputation,” said Nerad. “…When you get into a Charger or a Magnum, you really do feel like you’re in a man’s car.”

LAND ROVER

Land Rover only produces SUVs, which gives it a not-surprising place among the most popular brands for men. 70 percent off all Land Rover buyers have been men, according to JDPA.

“Land Rover, like Porsche, is very true to its traditions, and is fanatic in its adherence to its brand image, which is very functional, go-anywhere vehicles,” Nerad said.

Land Rover only produced four models this year, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, LR3 and LR2, but it is this simplicity in approach that makes it a very unique and identifiable auto for men.

“You can in some ways throw a hat over all their models because they are all pretty similar with similar capabilities,” said Nerad. “Add capabilities, add luxury, add performance as you go up the price scale.”

CHEVROLET

More than half of the autos Chevrolet produces are trucks and SUVs, which again make it an obvious choice for the male consumer. Men accounted for 69 percent of all Chevrolet purchases, according to JDPA.

But no auto in the Chevrolet lineup, or in the lineups of all the auto companies, has perhaps been more identified with the American male driving experience than the Corvette.

According to JDPA, the Corvette is the ninth most popular car with men, with 85 percent of all Corvette buyers having been men. The reason for the Corvette’s decades-old success is its reputation for high performance combined with its relatively affordable starting price of around $45,000.

“Its just an unbelievable performance car. And especially at the price,” Nerad said. “I got reacquainted with one two weeks ago, and it just reminded me how capable that car is in virtually every way - acceleration, cornering, braking - it does exactly what a sports car should do. It’s kind of an American standard bearer performance-wise. If you’re talking about an American car that can compete with the European super-cars, Corvette is the one you think of.” More Resources

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